UK Supreme Court rejects plans for Scottish independence vote
Britain’s top court on Wednesday rejected a request by the Scottish devolved government in Edinburgh to hold a new referendum on independence without London’s approval. The unanimous decision by the Supreme Court torpedoed the Scottish nationalist government’s push to hold a second referendum next year. The Scottish National Party (SNP) had said that if it […]
Great Britain sends helicopters to Ukraine for the first time
Britain will send helicopters to Ukraine for the first time since the Russian invasion, the Ministry of Defense said in London on Wednesday. Ten crews of Ukrainian service personnel and engineers completed a six-week training program in the UK as part of the “first helicopter capacity donated by the UK to Ukraine,” the ministry said. […]
Strike kills Ukrainian newborn, Zelensky beats Russia
Russian attacks killed a newborn in a Ukrainian maternity ward and two other civilians elsewhere, officials said Wednesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of “terrorism and murder.” Ukrainian emergency services said Russian missiles slammed into a building overnight in Vilniansk, part of the southern Zaporizhia region, in the latest attack on medical facilities since […]
Violent protests at the largest iPhone factory in China
Violent protests have erupted near Foxconn’s massive iPhone factory in central China as workers clashed with security guards over Covid restrictions at the plant. Videos shared on Weibo and Twitter, reviewed by AFP, show hundreds of workers marching down a street in daylight, with some being confronted by riot police and people in hazmat suits. […]
European Space Agency votes on record budget, appoints new astronauts
The European Space Agency will vote on Wednesday on whether to spend billions more to keep up with increasing competition in space and unveil its much-anticipated new generation of astronauts. ESA’s 22 member states, whose ministers responsible for space affairs have been meeting in Paris since Tuesday, will decide whether to meet the agency’s request […]
Mourning farewell to Indonesian father killed in earthquake
When Husein’s body arrived to be buried in the ground, his grieving relatives collapsed, some in wails so loud it echoed through the rolling hills of Cianjur in West Java. The 48-year-old construction worker and father of four, who shares the same name as many Indonesians, was building a house with three others when a […]
Beijingers were fed up with tightening restrictions
Schools and shops closed, restaurants empty and fears of being locked down at any moment – the Chinese capital is a cauldron of anxiety and fatigue as Covid tightens the reins nearly three years into the pandemic. As infections mount in Beijing, residents are increasingly fed up with navigating vague, shifting restrictions and weary with […]
More than 20 injured after 6.1 magnitude quake hits Turkey
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck northwestern Turkey in the early hours of Wednesday morning, injuring at least 22 people, according to health chiefs. According to the US Geological Survey, the shallow quake struck about 170 kilometers east of Istanbul, the country’s largest city. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter that there was no information […]
Indonesia quake survivors ask for supplies as rescuers haul debris
Survivors of an Indonesian earthquake that killed at least 268 people begged for food and water on Wednesday as rescuers searched devastated villages hoping to find someone who was alive. The calls for help came as authorities warned debris from landslides caused by the powerful quake near the West Java town of Cianjur would need […]
France, Germany and Italy agree on next-generation space rockets
France, Germany and Italy agree on next-generation space rockets Paris (AFP) – Juliette Collen and Mathieu Rabechault France, Germany and Italy, the three largest contributors to the European Space Agency, announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to guarantee the future of next-generation Ariane 6 and Vega-C rocket launcher systems. Countries also reiterated their preference […]
Tackling inflation ‘priority’ as global growth slows: OECD
Global economic growth is slowing due to decades of high inflation, the OECD said on Tuesday, calling for “substantial” further monetary tightening and “more targeted” government support. Global GDP is expected to grow 3.1 percent this year — nearly half the rate last year, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said. The decline is […]
Refugee boat docks in Crete after dramatic rescue
A rusting fishing boat carrying around 500 migrants docked on the Greek island of Crete on Tuesday after being dramatically rescued in near-gale force winds. An AFP photographer saw the wrecked ship crammed with men, some peering out of holes cut in the hull, apparently to prevent those in the hold from suffocating. Hellenic Red […]